Transforming a flat

Peggy Bels, a French interior designer company hardly needed a brief from the owners of a 400 square feet penthouse apartment to renovate the place.

The owners, a French-Australian couple, took a little while to realise the hidden potential in this tiny space on the roof of the building they owned on Caine Road, Hong Kong. Without a second thought, they entrusted the work to Peggy Bels as they were familiar with their work in transforming spaces.

The previous owners of the building had never done any renovation due to which the place had accumulated a lot of clutter. The flat looked cramped and had small windows. Peggy Bels immediately grasped the impressive view of the Victoria Harbour from the roof top. Taking full advantage of this, they first had their signature piece — the atelier windows (metal window frames used in workshops and studios) installed to capture the view, which gave it the look of a framed picture. This also ensured plenty of light streaming in during the day.

Glass walls were incorporated wherever possible. The interiors were redone using the industrial chic theme. To soften the look, she added marble tops and grey wood to the kitchen. The industrial look extended to the bathrooms as well where metal frames were used to enclose the shower cabinet; and to complete the look, black grouting was added to the white tiles.

Another eye-catching feature to this small flat was the staircase leading to the roof. This metal, spiral staircase hardly occupied any space but was very functional and appeared like a figurine. The flat benefited from long outdoor space which was made as a socialising area for around two to 10 people with a barbecue alcove. Rows of planter tubs accorded sufficient privacy and plenty of space to lounge around.

The owners were more than happy to have an eclectic mix of modern design and old-world aesthetics.